Fate: Zero Hour
by Rein Hellfire
Summary: REWRITE IN PROGRESS!
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

**Yo. This is a plot bunny that came up one night, when I was rewatching Fate/zero. The idea has probably been done before, but nevertheless!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own the Nasuverse. I barely understand some concepts in both worlds... I just depressed myself. **

**Anyway! Rolling prologue now!  
**

**WARNING: OOC (some parts), incomplete understanding of lore(feedback appreciated on this topic: I'll check out the wikis or something later.), NEW EVENTS NOT OF CANON STORYLINE!, and I suppose SOME AU.  
**

**Viewer discretion is advised.**

Prologue

In one universe, there existed a man. A presence, a person, born in a land of fire, the  
son of a yellow flash and a red-haired habanero. Hated by many, reviled by all. This  
person often asked himself, often wondered, just why?

Why was he hated? Why did people look at him with such disgust, with such  
apprehension, with such anger and fear?

Why are humans bigoted, why do they fear anything they cannot understand and hate  
anything that they do understand?

Why is there a cycle of hatred in the world?

That boy grew up, but he was not a rambunctious prankster that loved the color orange  
and was the deadlast of his academy.

This boy became a hollow being. A shell of himself. He loved no one. He blessed  
nothing, saved nothing, created nothing, loved almost nothing. He became a monster,  
because of these villagers, because of the bigotry and monstrosity that is humanity.

He was only five when this happened.

He only ever loved one person. Ironically, the thing that caused him to be hated was  
the thing that saved him, that granted him salvation. It was the demon sealed within him  
that taught him to be human again, that taught him love, compassion, and gave the boy  
a new goal. To bring peace to the world, so that no one whould have to suffer, no one  
would have to live in fear, no more monsters like the boy's twisted existence would be  
created ever again. To make his most precious person happy.

The boy attended the Shinobi academy, excelling and thriving, despite the attempted  
sabotages of the teachers, despite the bias, and the stigma associated with demon  
containers. He graduated as the top of his year, second to none. All thanks to that  
demon lord, that demon which was his mother figure, sister figure... That demon which  
was his most precious person.

And then he graduated.

He met a scarecrow that taught him about the importance of comrades. A duckbutt emo  
and a screeching fangirl that taught him about the vice of arrogance, and the difference  
between infatuation and love.

He met an ice maiden that taught him about the importance of precious people. A  
demon in the mist who taught him about true strength and where it comes from. A  
greasy midget that confirmed to the boy that corruption did indeed exist in the world,  
and the bigotry of people continued to pervade that perfect existence.

Throughout all of this, he continued ever onwards, tempered and wizened in blood.  
Never truly trusting any human, never looking back and regretting his mistakes. Always  
moving onwards, searching for that peaceful world. Where he could live, without fear,  
without worry. Where he could be happy, the boy and the Queen of demons.

He met a snake in the woods, a shy girl, a brash boy, and a insectile recluse. Another  
fangirl, a tank, and a lazy cloud. A green beast, an arrogant noble, and a panda. And  
he learned that all humans were flawed, in fact, all beings were flawed. These flaws  
caused conflict, that eternal conflict which existed in the world. His idea of eternal peace  
was flawed from the start, imperfect, unattainable. The boy was seeking an unattainable  
utopia, unreachable and unknowable.

Did it matter though? Did it really matter, if his ideals were flawed, if his hopes were  
unreachable? So long as he could hope, he would move onwards.

Never regretting his decisions, learning from the past. All for his tenant, the demon  
sealed inside his body. The person he grew to love.

Three years passed. The boy apprenticed under an old toad, and trained and trained, in  
order to combat an organization that shared the same dream that he did, but went about  
different, more brutal and violent means of achieving this dream. They that would paint  
the entire land red with blood if it meant that peace could be achieved for the few left.

And then the mighty demon lord died. The boy cried, cried at the loss of his mother,  
sister, friend, lover... Cried at the loss of the only being that gave him unconditional love,  
cried when she died saving him from a being who called himself a god.

And so, the boy went on a rampage. He killed, slew, became a terrible, terrible demon  
beyond the likes of what anybody could imagine. He killed, and killed, slew his enemies  
in the most brutal ways imaginable, and he broke the land in his despair. And he arrived  
at the truth, at the root of the world, in his despair and horror. And he realized a critical  
fact after seeing the root. Peace was always a dream. It was... Truly unattainable.

And then he stood before the god, the weak god with rippled eyes. And he asked him,  
why? Why did you do it?

The god laughed, weakly, and stood on crippled legs. And the god told the boy the  
answer, that he already knew.

For a peaceful land.

And then that god made a contract with the boy, told him to pursue that dream which he  
gave up on.

And he gave the boy his eyes, and promptly died soon afterwards.

The boy became a man that day, and that man went after the masked man that caused  
all of this tragedy, all of this bloodshed. And he killed him, in order to bring peace to the  
world. However, in doing so, he became reviled by all. Hated by all, shunned by all for  
his actions in killing, for destroying several villages in his throes of despair, but it didn't  
matter. His most important person was already gone. He was a hollow being anyways.

So, this hollow being took on all the evils of the world, became the enemy of the world.  
And he asked his best friend to kill him, and end the cycle of hatred permanently.

The boy died a villain, but lived a hero.

But fate didn't see it fit to end his life then and there. A wandering sorcerer from a  
different dimension found his dying body. And because this sorcerer was bored,  
decided to drop the man's body into a different dimension and take him on as an  
apprentice.

Yes. Zelretch is a troll. This fact has already been established.

And this is how the hollow existence known as Naruto Uzumaki was brought into  
another world, a world of magi, magecraft, and how he was brought into another age  
long conflict. The fourth holy grail war.

This is the story of a man, putting himself together, becoming human again. A knight,  
searching for a way out of the curse of becoming a king. Two people, supposedly  
cursed to be forever alone, but never really separate. During the course of the Fourth  
Holy Grail war, a new story begins.

* * *

**Rein Hellfire presents to you...**

**In accordance with the rules on this lovely website...**

**Fate/zero: requiem**

Uzumaki Naruto sighed as he finished drawing the circle that would summon  
aphis servant for the holy grail war. It had been two years. Two years since his  
supposed 'death' in his home dimension, and his subsequent revival in the current

dimension. Actually, revival would be too generic. More like he was forcibly dumped into  
this dimension by an incredibly humongous troll that wielded the second magic.

For those of you not in the know, that's Zelretch.

He should have died, back then. It was only because he underestimated the  
regenerative properties of his clan that he was actually still alive. Sasuke put a hole  
through his heart, and yet... And yet the hollow existence that was Naruto Uzumaki  
survived.

Though not without incredible amounts of pain. Having a hole put through his chest,  
even if it was willingly, was never a good thing to happen to a body. The subsequent  
regeneration was quite possibly worse.

The scar, a starburst scar, was still there, despite Naruto's regeneration. A reminder, of  
what he sacrificed to bring peace to the world.

The blond-haired man hummed quietly to himself as he continued laying out the  
summoning circle in the middle of his modest apartment. It had been a while since he  
had lived for himself. Since he cared about himself, or other humans in general.

_Although,_ he mused,_ I cannot be classified as strictly human now... Can't I?_  
_Because of these eyes of mine, this body of mine, this soul... I'm not entirely_  
_human now._

_I guess I really was a demon after all._

Naruto Uzumaki admitted that he was a flawed existence. He had his best friend kill him  
in order to bring about peace to the world. He lost all capacity to care for other beings  
after his friend died. No, his lover, friend, teacher, tenent, vixen...

_Akane-koi... I miss you..._

And the person known as Naruto Uzumaki, after realizing that he was a competitor in  
the fourth Fuyuki Grail War, had only one wish.

_I wish... I wish that there could be peace. That there would be no cycle of_  
_hatred. That no one would have to live the same life as I did, and still do._

This concept of peace, of the unattainable utopia was etched firmly onto his soul, to the  
point where it was a part of his mindscape.

Akane had loved his mindscape. She had expressed that thought many many times.

But, for there to be peace... The happiness of a few must be sacrificed.

And Naruto Uzumaki knew that fact to be the most important truth in the world. Nothing  
is free. Peace is a delusion, but... It didn't stop him from striving for that unattainable  
goal. And it didn't matter if he had to give up everything.

He was already dead the minute Akane died. A dead man had no business living when  
others suffered.

Naruto shook his head clear of the depressing thoughts. Akane wouldn't have wanted  
for him to act this way. He cleared his throat and stood up.

"It's almost time then. At midnight, on the full moon tomorrow- that's when my powers  
will be at their peak."

The blond-haired man was tall- about six feet in height, give or take a few inches.  
His spiky blond hair had two bangs that framed his face, and the back was shoulder  
length. He was well built, but not overly so, and he had piercing cerulean blue eyes  
that seemed almost empty... As if he had seen far, far too much in his twenty years of  
existence.

His most noticeable features, though, were three whisker marks adorning both of his  
tanned cheeks.

This man was currently standing in the middle of a spacious room in a penthouse  
apartment suite, which had a circle drawn of blood imprinted on the middle of the floor.  
He was wearing a black suit, completely black, and was currently rummaging in a bag  
for something. He found the object and pulled it out.

It was a sheath, a sheath for a sword. More specifically, a European Broadsword. Even  
more specifically, the holy sword given to King Arthur by the Lady in the Lake. And what  
a sheath it was. It was a luxurious piece of equipment made of gold and decorated with  
blue enamel that seemed more like a treasure to show dignity and nobility, like a crown  
or staff, than a weapon. It was inscribed with Fairy Letters on its center to signify that  
it was not, in fact, a work of mankind, but something... More. This was the conceptual  
weapon, Avalon. The ever-distant Utopia.

Naruto placed the sheath onto a makeshift alter. "Man... That sheath... Old man  
Zelretch really must have done some digging around for it..."

Zelretch had filched Avalon from the Einzberns as a matter of fact, after they had  
excavated it from Cornwall. The reason he gave it to Naruto as a catalyst for the ritual?  
He thought it would be... Entertaining, to say the least. Even if it was a pain in the ass to  
actually steal the sheath.

Zelretch is quite possibly the biggest troll in the nasuverse though.

Of course, Naruto knew exactly what his summoning artifact was. How could he not?  
The very concept of Avalon was embedded within his soul, after all. His dream, that  
dream of a peaceful world where everyone could be happy. To find that same artifact  
which signified his dream-

"With this... I'll make that wish a reality." Naruto closed his eyes. "It's all I can do for the  
people that I love, the ones that have died. I will move on. Never looking back. Always  
moving forward, making the future a better and brighter place. But first..." The tall man  
sighed. "I need to get some rest."

And he did.

* * *

Dream Sequence

Naruto awoke in his mindscape the minute his eyes closed. He was currently  
lying on a bed of soft green grass, facing the endless blue sky and the  
blazing sun. Te wind was blowing softly, and a fragrant smell could be smelt.

This was his world. His concept of his soul, his representation of the soul,  
called into being and materialized all of those years ago. His wish for a  
better world that his precious one could live in.

To sum it up in one word, the concept of Naruto's mindscape was 'Utopia'.

"Ah... It's you again."

The blond-haired man sat up, shocked by the presence of another being in  
his mind.

"What the hell? Who said that?"

It was obviously a woman, a girl or young lady. But who-

"How rude of you... You've been appearing in Avalon for a year now, and the  
first thing that you say to me is-"

Naruto looked behind him, and was quite shocked to see a girl standing  
behind him, dressed in a white sundress, with her hair braided in an unusual  
fashion. The girl had blonde hair, piercing green eyes, and a small figure  
that just screamed 'noble' and 'majestic'... A person who was royalty, or a  
king of some sort.

"How are you in my mind?"

"Your mind? What do you-" the girl paused. "Ah. I see. This is not Avalon.  
Then what? What could it be- reality marble? No... The transference would  
have been noticed. Or could it be-" she paused and appraised Naruto once  
more. "Are you perhaps a master in the Holy Grail War?"

Naruto sighed. "And if I was? How would it concern one like you?"

The blond-haired man laid back down, onto the soft grass, and let the  
breeze wash over his face. "Sorry. Just... Stressed out a little. I lost a lot of  
comrades. Coming here- it..."

"It helps." The woman said softly. "Doesn't it."

"This place is a reminder to me. A reminder of my dream that I pursued in  
my youth, a promise I made to my precious friend... A promise I made to  
the people of my world." The blond-haired ex-shinobi and magus-in-training  
whispered quietly. "And it's my own goal."

"Why? Why do you-"

"Why not? I lived in a time of warfare and strife, where deceit and lies were  
all too common. Hatred, revenge, aggression, fear... These forces drove my  
world. I made a promise to a friend of mine, that I would one day break the  
cycle of hatred. That I would create a world where she could smile, and live  
a carefree life." Naruto smiled wanly. "I succeeded in the end, but I threw  
away everything that I gained, everything I worked for. I became hated by  
the world as I tried to save the world, standing alone, never understood by a  
single human. All for this one person, all for the sake of this utopia."

"... Do you regret it? Do you regret having to stand alone? Never understood  
in your goals, becoming inhuman?" The girl asked bitterly. "Watching others  
throw away your lives for you and-"

"Never."

"What! How can you throw away your life like that and-"

"As long as one person remains smiling. As long as I know that I can bring  
happiness to one person, even if I am a failure of a human and a monster of  
a demon- I'm content. I don't want to save people. I want to help them save  
themselves. And, even if the morrow looks bleak... I'll still move forward,  
searching for the brighter future. I don't believe in the word 'impossible'  
or 'improbable'. I don't let words like 'fate' or 'destiny get in my way." And  
the whiskered man took on a more serious expression. "I've seen a lot of  
death, destruction, violence. I've lost a lot in my life, but I still strive for  
that ideal, because I have nothing left to strive for. And even if it is an  
impossibility, as long as the ideal is a good one, it is worth pursuing." Naruto  
scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "Ah, I'm rambling again. My  
point is, even if I am a demon in human skin, even if I am hated by the  
world... I'll still do everything in my power to save it. Because I made a  
promise, when I was a child, to create this better world. And I never break a  
promise."

"Sorry if I bored you with that."

"... I see. So. This is the type of person that you are." The girl turned  
appraising eyes onto the whiskered blond. "Perhaps then, you are-"

And the dream ended.

* * *

Naruto scratched his head again as he yawned. "Man... I'm beat..."

As it turned out, he had basically slept for an entire day.

"Welp... Might as well get the ritual started."

It was 11:59 pm. One month before the Fourth Fuyuki Grail War. An apartment  
in Tokyo, Japan. The residence of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed magus in training,  
apprentice to Wizard Marshal Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg. The hollow man.

Naruto opened his magic circuits, all 361 of them. He was aware that this was a  
completely monstrous number. But apparently, when he was dragged to this new  
dimension, his dying body was altered in the process. His regeneration detected a new  
source of energy, Prana and Od and subsequently, his tenketsu and Chakra network  
were turned into Magical Circuits.

The exact process went completely over his head. Oh, he could still use his jutsu and all  
of that.(his Rinnegan became one of the most overpowered mystic eyes in existence)  
Suffice to say, Naruto had absolutely ridiculous amounts of Prana, the result of 361  
middle grade Magical Circuits, each capable of processing 25 units of Prana. Yes.  
Overpowered.

Unfortunately, 'in the spirit of fairness', Zelretch forced him to undergo an operation  
that placed a damper on his circuits- reducing him to 5 units per circuit. Luckily the  
procedure was reversible, and even then Naruto was still much more powerful than the  
average Magus anyway.

He shook his head of these distracting thoughts when he noticed the clock tick over  
to twelve. The blond-haired Magus began the incantation. The circle, that circle drawn  
of blood began glowing. Theatrics were not needed in a summoning. The only things  
required was an artifact, to better the chances of choosing a select servant, and a circle  
with a Magus. The grail did the actual summoning.

**"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.**  
**The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg."**

The glowing increased, and the blonde magus could feel the prana surging through his  
circuits like blood through veins.

**"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from**  
**the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate."**

More prana flowing, a buzz of power emerged, grating upon sensitive ears. Avalon  
began glowing, as if it could sense the return of-

**"Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill)."**

Was it worth it? Was it worth conducting this ritual and beginning another conflict?

**"Repeat every five times."**

Yeah. It was. As long as he could give something to the people of the world-

**"Simply, shatter once filled."**

**"――――I announce.**  
**Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.**

**In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason,**  
**then answer.**  
**Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am**  
**the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.**  
**You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O**  
**keeper of the balance ―――"**

And with a bright light, a blinding light-

The world disappeared in a flash of white, a burst of energy.

And when all had settled-!

Smoke billowed from the summoning circle, and the silhouette of a slim figure was  
discernible. Then that figure spoke.

"I ask of you. Are you my Master?"

**A/N:**

**Yeah. That's the prologue, essentially. If you don't know which servant Naruto summoned, you need to rewatch some things, my friend.**

**So: we have a darker Naruto, brought into the nasuverse by Zelretch, who is going to be participating in the Fourth Holy Grail war. This is not canon Naruto, not at all. Some aspects remain the same, but other than that: not really, no.  
**

**Hope you enjoyed the story, so far. As to updates... I have school. So, expect infrequent updates. Tell me if I need to work on anything: Lore, grammar, spelling, punctuation: Feed back is appreciated. Suggestions, comments, anything to make me a better writer.**

**Flames are unwelcome, but appreciated nonetheless.**

**Anyway! Rein Hellfire! Signing OUT!**

**UPDATE:**

**Never mind the previous update. Looked online again, and while 1805 units is extremely op in the current generation of magi, I kind of realized... that's the point, isn't it? Naruto was basically on par with a heroic spirit in the freaking canon dimension. Remember, the normal magus has on average, 20 circuits, and 25 units of prana. Yeah, compare that to 1805 in his limited state, or at maximum, 9025. With three hundred fucking ninety one circuits.**

**It's over nine-thousand. Even Ciel only had 4000ish. And she can fight against heroic spirits.**

**Naruto isn't really underpowered, I think. Screw that, I know he isn't underpowered. At least, I don't really think so. In terms of raw power, he'll still get curb-stomped by something like dark Sakura, or type-mercury, but he can definitely handle himself against someone like Diarmuid or Iskander (9025 units... dear god. that's 18.05 times the amount that Rin Tohsaka has, and she's one of the more powerful magi out there). He's a shinobi (former), trained from the age of twelve to be a killer, so close combat and general battlefield awareness should be top-notch: probably a little under Arturia in close quarters. And as I said, my version of Naruto is definitely competent, not like the screaming orange loving ramen obsessed twelve-year old in canon. And he can bust out those freaking anti-army op as hell rinnegan and rasengan jutsus. And imari. Dear god, that tailed-beast ball.**

**He isn't invulnerable though. I'll get to that at a later chapter. But for kinunatzs, relax. Naruto is definitely NOT severely underpowered.  
**

**And for those of you worrying about Naruto being TOO overpowered, he can probably tie in a taijutsu match with someone like Maito Guy, and just barely lose in a kenjutsu fight with someone with Arturia's skill. He can hold himself in a fight, but he was trained more as an assassin, not a complete brawler.**

**Of course, this is in a fair fight. Naruto, being a ninja, will NOT fight fair. He will fight to win, he will be an utter bastard in war, but he will not fight fair- more like Kiritsugu, but he will have his differences in personality. So, going by that principle, knowing that heroic spirits and other masters tend to underestimate opposing masters, and knowing that he can fight head to head with a close quarter specialist and possibly win, and the fact that he has several game-breaking moves backed up as reserves... Yeah. Not underpowered at all. Power levels: Basically, able to fight one of the stronger knight classes head on in a close combat match (Gilgamesh, Arturia, Lancelot, Cu Cuchlainn) or a true ancestor (Though god forbid not an Ultimate one, or some monster like Crimson Moon, or Primate Murder. No god-like entities), and win. If barely. But still, he'll win. **

**Something like Ea would just plain kill him though. It would kill anything, why should an abnormally strong displaced shinobi be any different?**

**He can fight heroic spirits, but this Naruto is not! NOT godlike, though he has points where he will seem like it. Strong Naruto, not smash-everything-into-the-ground-and-kick-god's-ass-for-a-light-exercise Naruto. That would make for a completely boring story if he curbstomped everything, wouldn't you agree?**

**One more difference from canon Naruto. Makes up for it with all of those anti-army attacks though.**

**I hope that clarifies things. If not... then let me know.**

**Well, back to studying for me. Peace!**

**Update 2:**

**Ugh... Trying to figure out power levels is a completely huge pain in the ass...**

**The problem is, the Naruto verse and the nasuverse have two completely different systems in terms of 'internal energy', making my job of translating that kind of system harder.**

**Crossovers are hard...**

**If we go by the assumption that S-class ninjas (Sarutobi, Jiraya, etc...) are able to fight on par with A or possibly A+ servants, then the basic ranking I've constructed goes something like this:**

**These are taken from servant parameters and rankings, under the assumption that an average Magus has a capacity of 25 units of od, and an E rank in magic capacity has a ranking of 10 (10 times the capacity of a normal magus) for a servant with said E rank in magic capacity.**

**The term units refers to od capacity.**

**Ex: Beyond human understanding. Basically... God like entities. EA, Type Mercury, Akasha, Shinigami, Tailed-beasts**

**A+++: (200 times a normal magus's capacity: 5000 units)**

**A++: (150 times a normal magus's capacity: 3750 units)**

**A+: (100 times a normal magus's capacity: 2500 units): Medea from Fate/Stay night was classified as having A+ mana.**

**A: (50 times a normal magus's capacity: 1250 units**

**B+++:(160 times ". ": 4000 units)**

**B++:(120 times ". ": 3000 units)**

**B+: (80 times ". ": 2000 units)**

**B: (40 times ". ": 1000 units): Saber had B classed mana when she was summoned by Shirou, and is specifically mentioned to have 1000 units of capacity. Gilgamesh was also classed as having B-ranked mana in the stat sheets. Archer(fate/stay) has B-ranked mana.**

**C+++:(120 times ". ": 3000 units)**

**C++:(90 times ". ": 2250 units)**

**C+:(60 times ". ": 1500 units**

**C:(30 times ". ": 750 units): Lancer(fate/stay) had C- ranked reserves.**

**D+++:(80: times ". ": 2000 units)**

**D++:(60 times ". ": 1500 units)**

**D+:(40 times ". ": 1000 units)**

**D:(20 times ". ": 500 units)**

**E+++:(40 times ". ": 1000 units)**

**E++:(30 times ". ": 750 units)**

**E+:(20 times ". ": 500 units)**

**E:(10 times normal capacity: 250 units)**

**Below E: Someone like Shinji Matou.**

**Still think Naruto is underpowered? While he may seem that way compared to canon... I'll get to that later.**

**All of these things extrapolated from type-moon wiki by the way.**

**If he were still a tailed-beast container, he would have EX ranked reserves, but he isn't anymore. I'll get to that in a later chapter.**

**Now let's go to Naruto verse power levels and attempt to slap nasuverse identifiers on them. With Naruto's base power level being a control, this is kind of how I figure things to go:**

**Tailed-beasts: EX**

**Kage: A to A+++**

**S-ranked nin: B to A+++**

**ANBU: C-B+++**

**Jonin: C to C+++**

**Chunin: D to D +++**

** Genin: E+ to E+++**

**Academy student: Below E to E+ with a few exceptions.**

**Civilian: Below E. Definitely.**

**These make sense. Because, one, Servants are designed to be above the capacities of even a highly skilled magus. The weakest servant physically, caster, was perfectly capable of crushing a man's head with a single hand.**

**That is my rationale behind giving Naruto an overall power level of 9025. He is not a jinchuruki anymore, but he still has Kage level reserves, which translates to A ranked prana reserves in fate/stay in my honest opinion.**

**Academy students: translates to average magi.**

**Genin: lower class servants.**

**Chunin: middle class servants.**

**Jonin: middle class to high class.**

**ANBU: high class.**

**Kage: the highest of classes.**

**As for the cost of his jutsu, who said that they had to cost as much as, say, Caster's rain of light (700-2000 units of prana). As a matter of fact, even if world-breaking jutsu cost that much(Overpowered, so costs more power to actually use), Naruto basically has FOUR times the reserves that caster does if I use my current measure of power.**

**And we have to factor in the fact that most spells utilize mana from the atmosphere to maintain themselves after being casted, and the fact that od replenishes itself in magic circuits once it has been depleted. And the fact that Naruto is not a 'waste tons of energy on spamming useless jutsu' like in canon. Smarter, better, more conservative fighter. Yes, he has tons of energy to throw around, but he actually has some modicum of control to utilize said power.**

**I think I may be over analyzing this.**

**But going over the jutsu to spell thing: I'll try to get that figured out, but the way I'm seeing it, most jutsu are going to have more bang for their buck: Cost less energy and do the same amount of damage. **

** Now, why Naruto ISN'T a total prana monster. ****By all rights, Naruto should be stronger. However, his tailed-beast was extracted by Akatsuki (I'll get into this later, but I do mention it in the prologue). Because he is an Uzumaki, he survived the process, however in return, his chakra network was damaged during the extraction, severely, like 90 percent damage severely, due to the backlash from when the Shiki Fuin was broken. He still had kage-level before the transportation to the different dimension though, because that's just how big his reserves were. Instead of being on the level of a tailed beasts though, it's more like on the level of Pein or Deidara: he did not have unlimited amounts of Chakra to throw around for a long time after the sealing, and could not gain more chakra because of the damage to his network. As a result, he does not have nearly the amount of od to throw around as he would have if he was completely hale and hearty.**

**No, he will not be god-like for a long, long time. Later? Well... Kekekeke... **

**Rest assured, he will get stronger as time progresses. Much, MUCH stronger. Just not yet. I would find it incredibly hard/boring to write about a god-like character this early on, plus reading about another overpowered character who has to do basically nothing to gain power, AND has fancy eyes... Sounds a bit like Sasuke Uchiha. **

**Which is kind of why I had to find plausible reason to nerf the main character. As the series progresses, he will grow and regain his original power. But, again... not yet. (I'm all for the 'work your ass off and gain power' main character. Not the 'everything is a breeze' main character. Because you actually get to see the first grow, while the second... you kind of sit there and just watch curb-stomp after curb-stomp.)**

**As for wanting peace: This is similar to Lelouch Vi Britannia from Code Geass, going to war, lying, stealing, murdering, and killing. For his sister's dream of a better world. And in the end, he died for that world. Same concepts apply here. Naruto isn't completely black though, if anything he's gray. But such a dark shade of gray...**

**Another concern was format. I'll work on that. I have no idea how things are getting screwed up like that. The page should NOT look like someone cut it in half...**

**As if I didn't have enough to worry about.**

**I'll get back to work on another chapter. I hope that helps explain some more things about how I'm figuring the entire prana to chakra thing, and how I view Naruto's levels. Feedback appreciated, and if I completely miss an important point in the lore... I'll kick myself in the head shortly thereafter.**

**Ja-ne!**


	2. Beginning of the end

**A/N:**

**Sleep... It sounds so good right now.**

**But, I must persevere! For the fans! For Narni-**

**...**

**Dammit that came out wrong.**

**Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, feedback... You're all wonderful, beautiful people. All of you.**

**So! Next chapter! It's kind of a short one, sadly. I'm really tired, and I have absolutely no energy to elaborate more and more. I'm probably going to have a longer delay in between, so I can actually type more immersing material.**

**Anyway, I read some reviews and PMs. And this should answer some of those questions and concerns.**

**Sage-mode: Yes, it will be a part of this story. Need to think of how to implement it though.**

**Rinnegan: no, it will not be Naruto spamming Shinra Tensai every single goddamn fight. I'll try to include all or most of the abilities. And yes, some abilities are completely broken. Human path and Naraka path are essentially the Third Magic. Yin-yang release is also on the level of a 'miracle'. Don't worry though: Rinnegan will factor somewhat in the plot. I have a plan for the eyes of Samsara. **

**Kiritsugu: Yes, he will be a part of the war, no, Naruto will not replace him. His catalyst was just stolen, is all. The Magus killer will definitely be taking place in this war. I'm not going to be giving any spoilers though as to what servant he'll summon as a replacement. It should be interesting to see how these two people, sharing the same dream, but utilizing different methods of reaching this dream will interact.**

**And as for the summoning before the grail war: Editing that. After going over the rules once again, I found that, yes, servants can be summoned before the start of the war. I was thinking of Ilya and Berserker when I wrote that, but that was two months before the start. One month isn't an anomaly. Deleting now.**

**No, Naruto is not the Magus Killer. See the bottom for my giant tirade on how I'm trying to build his character. I don't think that I did a very good job of describing his character completely; this is just a gist of what I'm trying to build. **

**To be honest, I'm unsatisfied with this chapter, but I've rewrote it about five-six times now. I think that if I try again, I'll just end up making it worse. Meh, what can you do. Sorry if this is... not quite up to par with expectations.**

**And yes, I finally solved the format issue. Hallelujah.**

**Same warnings as prologue. Read it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I also do not own the nasuverse.**

**Enjoy. Viewer discretion, is advised.**

Chapter One: Beginning of the End

"I ask of you. Are you my Master?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows at this statement, for if he had to guess that voice was... That of a young girl.

_How... Peculiar..._

And the smoke cleared, and the figure was revealed. The image of a young blonde-haired woman, dressed in a blue dress. Holding what seemed to be empty air, but on closer inspection turned out to be-

_Is that an invisible sword?_

And garbed in silver armor, with the very same regal aura as the girl in his mindscape. That girl he dreamed about.

_Curiouser and curiouser._

"I ask of you. Are you my-"

"I am your master." Naruto groaned and palmed his face. "Man... Did something go wrong with the summoning ritual or something? How the hell did someone I dreamed of get here-"

The blonde woman twitched. "I am sorry, but we have never met before. I assure you, Master, I am servant Saber, here to assist you in the Holy Grail war."

"Seriously? You're King Arthur?" When the blonde-haired girl nodded, Naruto sighed once more. "Well... That's... Unexpected."

"Master? Are you displeased, or-"

The whiskered blonde held up a weary hand. "I said it was unexpected, not bad. Just because you're a beautiful woman doesn't mean that you can't fight, after all. Can you help me clean up first? Then, we can go over planning for the Grail War."

"... Yes, master."

"One more thing. Don't call me master. My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. Please use that term when you address me... I've never enjoyed the feeling of having someone grovel and beg before my feet. I'm not above you, a heroic spirit..." He leveled a frosty glare at his servant, Arturia Pendragon. "So... This is a request. Refer to me by name."

"... Yes... Naruto."

Naruto instantly brightened up. "Well then! I'll just go get some wipes or something. Be right back!"

And he left. Leaving Saber to contemplate just what the hell she had gotten herself into.

Surprisingly, her first impressions of her master were quite favorable. After meeting him in Avalon, she was able to understand what kind of personality he had.

_He's too carefree. Does he actually even care about the grail war?_

_However, he actually has some measure of power, if the amount of Prana I'm receiving is any indication._

Indeed, her master was a competent magus. The amount of Prana flowing through her body-

_It's enough to increase all my base stats. I've never felt so strong in my life, not even during that final-_

_Forget about it. It appears as if my master is a powerful man. And I feel as if that power is actually being limited, meaning he's even stronger. This is most favorable. It would be most favorable, if he did not act so... Foolish. Was I perhaps summoned by an immature brat? That kind of attitude is-_

The swords-woman took some time in the middle of her mental rant to observe her current surroundings. She was currently standing in the middle of a large room, a kind of study if the desk and bookshelves were anything to go by. Everything was neat and in order- the books were stacked, pens and pencils in their proper containers, the wooden floor was dusted... Her master seemed to be a responsible man in that regard.

Saber idly noted a katana that was sheathed and mounted on a wall, above several stacks of scrolls, and a pair of wooden practice swords, as well as several bamboo swords, a case filled with what she assumed were some kind of knives, and... Needles.

_Physical training as well? And from the wear on the grip... That sword has been used before. Numerous times..._

_From what I was able to discern from my master's overall appearance, there are muscles hidden in that tall figure. So... He may actually have some modicum of defense. If that means that I don't have to spend all of my time guarding him, then that's perfectly acceptable._

_And the manner in which he summoned me... Textbook. No mistakes. He is definitely competent, but how did he know who I was, from the get-go. He was surprised when I announced my gender, but, how did he know who I was-_

It was then that she noticed the altar. Or more specifically, the object that was on top of the altar.

_Avalon? _

The servant approached the sheath slowly, as if she was afraid of losing it. Se grasped it, and was thrilled to feel its familiar presence enveloping her, like an old friend welcoming her. That object which was lost so long ago had been returned.

She knew in her heart that this was, in fact her lost scabbard. There was no question about it. Arturia absorbed the famous scabbard into her body after a brief inspection to make sure nothing was awry.

_But... How did... How did he come about-_

"Yo! Arthur, or whatever the hell your true name is!" Naruto strode into the study. "You mind helping me clean up? The blood might be mine, but that doesn't mean that I want it on my floor for a prolonged period of time."

"... Call me Saber..." Saber said slowly.

Naruto sighed. Apparently, Saber had a massive stick up the ass, or something along those lines. Kind of like Neji, or Hiashi.

"Saber..." When Saber nodded, Naruto continued his sentence. "You seem tense. May I inquire why?"

"Master, there is no need to worry about my well being. As a servant-"

"As my partner in this Holy Grail war, it would not do to go into battle with a clouded mind." Naruto sat down, onto a nearby chair. "Well? Is there a problem?"

"... It's nothing, master-"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, sit down!"

"..." Saber pulled over a chair and sat down.

The blond shinobi pressed his fingers together, and crossed his legs. "Saber. If we are to win the grail, we have to act as a team. That means that some modicum of cooperation must be given between us. If something is troubling you, feel free to share it, seeing as a distraction in battle could prove fatal." He leaned towards his servant. "So, I ask again. Is there something on your mind?"

"... How. How do you have Avalon!"

Naruto paused. _So that's the issue..._

"How do you have my sheath? Were you descended from the curs that stole it from me?"

Naruto raised a black-sleeved hand. "I assure you, my family had absolutely nothing to do with Avalon. My line was not that which stole from you."

"... I see. I apologize for being so presumptuous."

"Saber..." Naruto sighed. "Stop being so uptight. It's a pain in the ass."

"Master, I assure you-"

"God!" Naruto stood up and threw his hands into the air. "There you go again! Please, for the love of god, don't call me master! I have a name! Use it!"

"No, it would infringe on my honor as a knight to refer to you in less than respectful tones."

Naruto slumped at this blunt statement. _Seriously? Stick. Up. The. Ass._

"... Is the presence of Avalon the only thing that was bothering you?"

"Yes." Saber smiled a little, a little eency wincy smile. "It seems as if I have been summoned by a competent master, at the very least. I am receiving a very strong flow of prana between our bond."

Naruto rolled up his sleeve and gazed at his command seals. (Kiritsugu's command seals from Fate/zero).

"Yeah. You could say that I'm competent." Naruto smirked. "I just happen to wield about as much power as a caster class servant after all."

"I am under the impression that-"

"Yeah, my power is sealed." Naruto grumbled something about 'stinking old vampires' and 'geezers who have no form of decency' before turning back to his servant and giving her a weary smile. "It's temporary though. I have absolutely no idea when it'll wear off, but it should."

"Your circuits... They appear atrophied. Damaged. Did something happen?"

"Drop it."

"Master, if there is any damage-"

"I said. Drop it." Naruto leveled a chilling glare at the servant, before his glare softened. "It's... A sensitive topic to me. Rest assured, I shall be able to supply you with a sufficient amount of prana."

Saber noted the sudden melancholy that came about her master's being, and wisely decided to change the topic.

"I am also under the impression that you have done physical training before- unusual for a magus."

"Strangely enough, most of the magi don't really believe in the whole 'healthy body, healthy mind' concept..." Naruto grumbled irritably. "Yeah, I've been training since I was eight."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "That is a relatively young age..." Most knights began training at ten.

"It paid off. I hunt dead apostles for a living nowadays, along with some mercenary work, and doing the... 'Off the clock' jobs for the organization my boss works for."

Saber scowled. "So you are nothing more than a filthy mercenary..."

"When did I say that? I'm a monster hunter. I kill the things that try to kill mundanes, or innocents. I volunteered for the job, because I had the skill to do so, and I can't stand back and watch while others get injured."

"..."

"Ever since I was a kid... It's not that I wanted to be a hero. I just wanted... To live life. After I met a certain person, that dream translated to 'create a better world for that person'..." Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "I fight of my own volition, not for money or for duty. I do whatever the hell I want..." _Except when it involves dimensional hopping vampires. _"But if something threatens the peace I work for... I'll put that being down, without a second thought."

And that last statement put another small smile onto Saber's face.

_It seems... That my master has at least some steel within him. _

_And he shares that same exalted dream. _

_Yes... Even if this man is my master, then-_

"-er... Saber..."

"Eh?"

Naruto sighed. "Not attentive, eh?" He stood up and dusted off his suit. "I said, if we're going to be partners, then we'll have to learn how to work together."

"Master?"

"I got a assignment a few hours before I summoned you. There's apparently been disappearances in the magus community near Paris. The vice-director asked me to investigate." Naruto shrugged. "Normally, I would say no, but this is an excellent opportunity to get to know one another better."

"Master, you have no need to concern yourself with such things. Just leave the fighting to me-"

"Saber. You're a knight, right?"

The petite blonde blinked. "Yes, but what relevance-"

"As a knight, you have a code of honor, don't you."

"... Yes."

"Then let me just inform you of a few things." Naruto stood up and began rummaging through his scrolls.

"First off: I am fairly confident that I can hold my own in a fight. I have been trained as an assassin since the age of eight. I have fought many things, a man who called himself god, countless hordes of undead, entire armies, even. All by myself. I believe that I can hold myself in a fight, or failing that, manage to hold my enemies off long enough to utilize a command seal." Having apparently found what he was looking for, he turned his attention back to Saber.

"I do not need to be mollycoddled, Saber." He said quietly. "Your concerns are well-founded, however, by doing so... That's an insult to my skills as a fighter. You're saying that I am incapable of protecting myself as well as doing my job when you tell me that you are to do the fighting." He sighed. "Can I just ask you to trust me on this matter?"

"My apologies, Master."

"Another thing." Naruto began again. "I was trained to win, when I fight. I have no sense of morality, only a tiny scraps of a code of honor. In essence, I fight to win by any means necessary, even if I must conduct some..." Naruto's face twisted. "Repugnant measures, such as taking children hostage, or killing innocents to eliminate the target. I do not enjoy these aspects of my work, but I have admitted that it is... While it shouldn't be... It is sometimes necessary."

"I am not going to hide things from you, Saber. If we are to work together in this Grail War, we must have some form of connection beyond that of the command seals. I am telling you this right now. My method of fighting, doing whatever it takes to win... I'm afraid that it may infringe upon your forms of chivalry and honor. If you dislike me for it, I can understand. But my belief is that in battle, there is no place, no time for things like honor. Honor will not save a person that has been drained of blood, and turned into a mindless ghoul... So I am admitting that I will fight like an utter bastard if I have to..."

"The ends justify the means? This is the type of person you are?"

"That's the thing though..." Naruto sighed. "While I will do whatever is needed to preserve the peace, I have my limits. There are moral boundaries that I will not cross, not unless it is absolutely necessary. I do not enjoy killing innocents, and will try to utilize all other methods unless there is no other form of recourse. I do not torture the helpless, and I don't enjoy killing at all, even if I accept that it is necessary. But, if I do not fight the ghouls, the rogue Magi, the demons, then... Can I rely on others to carry a burden that is completely bearable? Those with power... They should protect the ones without. To be a magus is to walk with death. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed. And for there to be a gentler world... You can't create that gentler world with negotiation and treatise." He took a deep breath and lost himself in thought.

"I was raised alongside death. Death and violence were everyday occurrences in my life. I walked with death for the longest period of time. No one should have to go through that kind of sad existence." Naruto firmed his gaze, squared his jaw, steeled his resolve.

"Which is why... Why I'm participating in this war. For the sake of a brighter existence for the future generation. That's what I want, because even with my current occupation, my powers, there is no way to create a peaceful world. No matter what I did, or how I did it, my hands and the hands of others would always be stained in blood. So, for the sake of that single wish, that hope of a way to create peace without having to kill one to save ten..."

Saber's mind was churning.

"Ah, I'm rambling again. And I'm not even all that old yet."

_This man... He... No. That's not the attitude of an assassin, or a scum of society. That attitude..._

_That brutally honest, jaded attitude. He's more like a war-veteran if anything else. A grey knight, a protector and champion. This man... I can respect, if not for his power, than his demeanor, his personality._

_He treated me with respect, for starters. He does not treat our contract in a manner that suggests 'master' and 'servant', but rather, refers to it as a partnership. From what information I was able to glean from the grail, most magi in his position, would not be as reasonable. _

_And, he claims to be physically competent, and I find veracity in those claims. His skin tone suggests that he stays outdoors quite often. Those calluses on his palms, suggest a history of holding weapons, swords or knives most likely, judging from the sword on the wall. The general grace in which he moves, that economy of motion and gracefulness in stepping... he is definitely no stranger to battle._

_The biggest tell is his eyes. Those are not the eyes of a naive child. Those eyes have seen war. They have seen death, crime, murder, sedition._

_Those are the eyes of a jaded warrior._

_He is not the idealistic moron I assumed him to be, from that entire speech that I was just given, to his eyes. He is idealistic, but he is also a realist. A pragmatic idealist... But honest about it. So maybe not so pragmatic after all?_

_Either way, I'll have to interact with my master more if I am to get a better gauge on his character. But it appears that I was too hasty in judging him._

"I'll go get packed. Do you need anything?"

"As a servant, all I really require is a constant flow of Prana. I thank you for your attempt to improve my quality of living though."

"Sure, sure..." Naruto paused. "Can you go into spirit form? The amount of prana that you're draining is pretty darn considerable right now. I'm not on grail support, so right now, you're taking energy directly from my circuits."

"I apologize, master, but I am unable to take spirit form."

Naruto's mind completely derailed. "What? Seriously?" He looked at Saber with an annoyed expression on his face. "Well... That's troublesome then."

"I apologiz-"

"No, don't apologize. It's not unworkable. We'll figure something out later." He pointed at the blue-wearing servant accusingly. "You need a new set of clothes. With that armor on, you'll stand out no matter where you go."

Saber dispelled her armor. "Is this better?"

"No, no..." Naruto rubbed his chin and hummed to himself briefly. "I have some old suits in my closet. Problem is, everything I own is going to be way too big for you." He grinned. "Nothing some alteration can't fix though... I'll see what I can do." He turned to leave once again. "Oh yeah, one last thing. Call me Naruto, not master."

"Master-"

"Gah! Well, it was worth a shot." Immediately, the blond displaced shinobi stormed out of the room, grumbling all the while about 'pretty girls with objects lodged in uncomfortable places', leaving behind a bemused holy-sword wielder.

"It seems as if I have been summoned by a very unique master."

_And that could be called the beginning of the Holy Grail War, though the actual war would not begin for another four weeks. Approximately one month before the final servants were summoned, the King of Knights met the broken magus. And on that night... One could say that fate changed._

_And it wasn't necessarily for the better._

**A/N:**

**Done. Man, that took quite a while to plan out.**

**Basically, I'm setting up a little mini-arc. It's just to show how Saber and Naruto work together as a team, and the relationship that they develop through the course of this arc. Expect it to take anywhere from three-four chapters depending on chapter length. I need to set up a fixed chapter length soon.**

**So, we get to see some first impressions by both of our protagonists. Naruto is being completely cooperative and serious in attempting to work with Saber. He knows that in order to succeed, he has to develop a good relationship with his servant: of course, that's not the only reason, but I'll move more into that in later chapters. On the other hand, Saber first saw Naruto as an inexperienced fool, kind of how she saw Shirou. A fool hopelessly lost in his or her ideals, but admirable (a little bit, but growing over time) regardless. That initial meeting in Avalon gave her a favorable impression, but she forgot about it in the summoning. When she saw Naruto's nonchalant attitude after her summoning, she kind of thought of him as... Scatterbrained.**

**After Naruto gave a talk no jutsu however, she saw the blond for what he actually was.**

**The following are some of my thoughts, written out, that kind of describe what I was thinking of when I was trying to get into character for this fanfic. Some thoughts I have had about how to construct Naruto's personality.**

**Similar to Kiritsugu in the fact that both the magus killer and the shinobi know that those dirty deeds must be done in order to create a peaceful world. That no matter what, only the people in front can actually be saved. Kill one to save ten, ten to save a hundred, a hundred to save a thousand.**

**Naruto kills those monsters that feed on humanity, because he cannot in good consciousness stand by while others are injured if he has the power to change the situation, to do something to protect others. His entire desire for peace... It's similar to Itachi in a way. All of his life, or most of it, was just fighting and fighting and fighting, and death and death after death. The boy who wished for a gentler existence could only watch as the world became, in his eyes, 'drenched in blood.'**

**The path of the shinobi is that of a killer. After seeing so much bloodshed, so much negativity apparent, this man tried to end the cycle of hatred, to make it so that human weapons (ninja) would not be needed anymore. He could not, however, see a way out that did not require a sacrifice of lives. So he stood by, and continued to watch the world burn, and burn, and burn. He was a completely contradictory person. He openly walked the path of a merciless assassin in an attempt to bring peace to the world, but he could not kill his heart, could not bear to take lives. A little bit hypocritical.**

**He understands the entire path behind the 'greater good' ideology. He acts that way in battle, but in practice, in actual life- he lives by his own rules, his own path. He rejects the idea that one must die to save ten, even though he understands that in practice, one MUST die to save ten.**

**Eventually, he snapped. He couldn't stand by in inaction, couldn't bear to see war. So, he tried to bear all the evils of the world on his shoulders. He tried to bring about peace through interaction, but ended up becoming hated by the Ninja villages for ruining their livelihoods of killing. They were suspicious of his motives: it was unexpected and unusual for a hardened killer to try to make his job obsolete. In the end, he realized that in the current state of affairs, peace could not be brought about by negotiation, at least not yet. Mankind had not advanced to that stage where open dialogue is a possibility.**

**At the same time, he knew that forcing peace, conquering and subjugating other lands, a peace brought about by force would be a farce of a peace. It would not last. In the end, he chose to make others view him as a tyrant so evil, so dangerous, that once that tyrant died, every man, woman and child in all of the Elemental continents would live in fear of the rise of another said tyrant. That tyrant would force all the villages to work together, would force an uneasy truce between villages that would last after the Tyrant's death.**

**In the end though, when it comes down to it, he can't make the hard choices. No, more like he can choose the philosophy 'kill the few to save the many'. He rejects that belief under the belief that another better path is available. Naruto is the man who tries to save everybody at his own expense. He is completely adverse to the idea that others should sacrifice for him, that he should be above anyone else. Similar to Shirou Emiya, he has accepted that he is a flawed existence, a contradiction, who should have died long ago. However, he still sees worth in the people he builds the future for, but cannot see his own self-worth.**

**Humans are by design flawed. The dream he follows cannot be realized as long as these flaws remain, but he pursues it nonetheless, for it is a good dream, and a good thing to hope for. He seeks the holy grail for this desire: to save this world, at the expense of his own happiness.**

**Truly, a contradiction, an aberration.**

**What I am trying to build, is a character similar to Kiritsugu and Shirou in beliefs and personality. A character who can be pragmatic at times, and openly admits that he is a disgusting person during those times, but maintains his childish beliefs and an unwavering code of conduct- a set of rules and actions that he will refuse to undertake, as it would be against this moral code that he established.**

**A character that lives by his ideals, and will die for those ideals, that acknowledges others yet does not recognize himself. A man who has seen war, and knows war, and abhors war. A sacrificial hero. I have warned that this Naruto is not from the canon-verse, and as such, doesn't possess that naivety in refusing to believe that everybody (Including the Uchiha) can be saved, that the happy ending can be realized. This Naruto is an old soldier, weary of the fighting, and as such, will act completely opposite. A responsible veteran, chasing a childish ideal. A man who, despite all of this, refuses to believe that his ideal cannot be realized, and after abandoning his morals for a hopeless dream realizes that these morals are in fact what defined him as a person.**

**Naruto is going to have the same dream as Kiritsugu. He acts similar to Kiritsugu sometimes, but for the most part, he will actually have a moral compass, completely unlike Kiritsugu. However, he is still much more jaded than Shirou, but is also a distorted **

**The following are some more statements (Things Naruto would say) that I thought of during this character development. A sort of prelude to future chapters if you will. If you read these... Be prepared for the potential spoilers...**

**_Peace brought about by force is not peace at all._**

**_The only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed. _**

**_Monsters kill people. War is a monster. Soldiers, shinobi... They're also monsters. I'm a monster as well._**

**_Humanity might be a flawed race, but nevertheless, I won't give up on humans. I'll believe that a brighter future is in fact possible. That's who I am._**

**_I promised to create a better world. I wanted this better world for a person I loved a long time ago, wanted them to live in the better world. This was the one promise that I've broken._**

**_I told you Saber. I'm an ugly person. I've lied, cheated, stolen... Acted like a complete bastard to win. I'll still do these things, simply because... There's no other way I know how to live life. I'm trying to find a better solution, but sometimes... I have to... I will be forced to commit the unspeakable, do the unthinkable. Saber. I will never force you to dirty your hands. Leave that to this shell of a master._**

**_This is not a wish. This is a request. A plea, a prayer. For what? For salvation._**

**_We''re comrades, right? Partners, right? So stop trying to do everything by yourself. Are you a leader? If so... You should know that a leader should never have to stand alone. I'm here. You're not alone in this conflict._**

**_It's all right to rely on other people sometimes, you know. Before you are a hero, you are still a human. Humans are fallible. Of course... I'm less than a human. Making me twice as fallible._**

**_The ends do not justify the means. Even if in the world, you have to get your hands dirty... It does not justify an ideal! Just because it is the fastest way doesn't give me, or you, or any one person the right to play god with peoples lives! I admit that I have no right to talk on these matters. I was once guilty of the same philosophy. But, regardless, I won't abandon those people heartlessly. I'll find a way to protect everybody. Because, if I cannot make the future better, I can still protect the present._**

**_Don't talk to me about not understanding your motives. I walked that path you take right now, believing that peace has a cost. I bled and bled, and I made others bleed for a selfish desire. I walked a path filled with regrets, seen the world in endless war. I thought that my path was justified, the lives that I was ruining were worth my goal. I thought... Until I actually looked closer. And realized... It was not justified. I had no right to toy with the lives of others and claim that it was for a greater cause. How my wish greater than the wishes of others? I realized this. That dream which you have... If you continue on the path of the death-dealer... You'll regret your actions. Unless you kill your heart and your emotions, unless you become less than human. Do not become like me, Kiritsugu. Heed this warning._**

**_When I was a boy, I thought that the world was such an empty place. I sought meaning. I received meaning. That woman saved me... I was brought to salvation, given a semblance of purpose. That woman was my world. Her ideals became my ideals, her beliefs my beliefs. But I chose to follow these beliefs willingly. They were not borrowed, nor forced upon me. They were gifted to me, by an angel of a person who made me what I am and will be._**

**_I regret my actions, past and present. But, I will not let that impede me. I will move forward, looking for the bright light that is humanity. I'll protect the ones close to me. I couldn't before, and that is my greatest regret. But I'll protect my friends, because a wise man once told me... Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Saber... You're my friend._**

**_Look underneath the underneath, eh? There's always a motive, a reason. Everyone has their reasons. Mine? Mine are more esoteric than others. Actually, screw that. They're more childish, idiotic, senseless, but I believe that this wish is the best one after examining the personalities of the other masters. Am I being selfish though? Is this wish truly right though, Saber? What would Akane think of me..._**

**_Humans are selfish creatures. Always wanting more, and more. That's how conflict starts, you know. Through the selfish desires of the few. And a wish is, by nature selfish. By the end of this conflict, all of our characters, desires, beliefs, viewpoints... will change. All the masters in this Holy Grail war will have to change._**

**_If the king does not lead, then... How can he expect his men to follow? On the opposite side, the people must relate to the king, be able to understand his motives. The king must be understood to be still human. Otherwise... That breeds uncertainty. The king will be viewed as inhuman. And the people will not be able to relate to an inhuman king._**

**_People fear what they cannot understand, and hate what they can't conquer. They're a flawed species. Of course, I have no right to pass judgement on an entire species. After all, I am at my battered and beaten core, human._**

**_I have a... Code of chivalry, for lack of a better word. Some set guidelines that I follow. It's all that I have left, in this hollow existence that is my life. My ideal, and my code of conduct. It is inherited. A gift. But, it is my own now. And that is all that matters to me._**

**_I won't force you to commit that act. Despicable acts should be left to the ones that already have their bodies immersed in sin._**

**_I don't think that pride is a sin. Pride in your own abilities, in what others can and have accomplished... That's not a sin. However, pride can quickly become arrogance. And arrogance... Is not a good thing to have in abundance._**

**_People die when they are killed. I was killed a long time ago. Why am I not dead? I should be dead. But I'm not. And... A dead person has no business intruding on the affairs of the innocent. And, if I should continue existing..._**

**_A peaceful world does not mean a world without conflict. I realize this now. My perfect dream was flawed in its perfection. What I wanted was a world without change, a stale world, with no chance for advancement. What I seek is tomorrow. A world that may be constantly changing, never halting. A world that becomes brighter and better every day. I cannot give people a utopia. They must strive for it themselves, in order for it to have any semblance of meaning. What I want is a world where people have learned how to live without conflict! A world where advancement without the negative attributes of advancement can happen. A world that I do not need to fight on in. Where I can... Return to my dream, and rest assured that the future generations can fight their own battles, and thrive, and become greater than the old generation, and create a world greater and better than the world that I used to long for._**

**_Conflict will always arise and resolve itself. All I can do now, is place my hopes on the human race. I'm betting on you then. _**

**So... That's it. It doesn't make much sense, now that I look back. But... That was some of my entire thinking process behind how I should construct the male protagonist in this fanfiction, how he should think, how I can write decent dialogue that stays 'in character' for the universe I'm setting up. Some thoughts and ideas I had. I probably contradicted myself once or twice in that entire rant.**

**Looking back, it seems as if I was inspired by Code Geass as well as Legend of the Legendary heroes a little. Huh.**

**I'll get into Saber's character at a later time.**

**Once again, feedback is appreciated, whether it be good, or bad. Drop a review, a PM, anything or everything on how I can make this story an enjoyable read. Any and all feedback is welcomed.**

**I need to work on chapter length, definitely. The freaking A/Ns are taking up a quarter of a chapter currently, but these are essentially 'filler' chapters right now. Not very interesting to write, but! I will persevere, because just because it is filler does not mean that it is an excuse to write substandard work.**

**I'll see you all soon. I'm going to bed now. Expect a longer delay between chapters: end of course exams are coming up, so I'm going to be studying. You have been forewarned. The next few chapters should prove to be... Interesting to say the least. And the actual Grail war will be much MUCH different from canon. Some events will have to stay the same, but others? No. I'm going to take a page from Death note or Code Geass in the grail war. There will be plot twists. Ass kicking and epic fights. Raging, bm, and the gloating. God the gloating. Super prepared masters, untold amounts of destruction, big damn hero entry scenes, subterfuge, deceit, machiavellian politics...**

**It will be glorious. And it is underway.**

**Kekekekeke...**

**Now, I have to freaking write the damn thing now. Starting with a basic plot. I have a general map for the next few chapters planned out, but I need to rewatch**

**Fate/Zero multiple, multiple times. And re-read Naruto.**

**Well. There goes my weekend.**

**Again, any feedback is appreciated. Flames will be unwelcome, but tolerated regardless, considering everyone is entitled to their first opinion.**

**Well then! Signing out!**

**UPDATE:**

**Renamed title seeing as said title is being used by another author. Apologies for infringement...**


	3. Team of Zero

Chapter two: Team of Zero

**A/N:**

**At the time that I am writing this, this story has hit over 2500 views, 1500 visitors, 34 reviews, and over eighty favorites and follows.**

**All I can say?**

**Hot damn. That's pretty damn good for my first story, if I do say so myself. You guys, and girls, are awesome.**

**Actual Grail war: there will be a timeskip, but we should get to the actual war in one-two chapters, depending on how much I write.**

**Rinnegan: features heavily in the story. More details later on, but the types of miracles it can unleash will draw much unneeded attention. Including a certain family's interest... That's all I'm revealing for now.**

**I apologize for the extremely long A/Ns, by the way. Working on shortening those.**

**... Well, I need to put the disclaimer up.**

**Do I own Kishimoto's Naruto? Nope..**

**Do I own Kinoto Nasu's universe? Nope.**

**And once again: viewer discretion is advised.**

_Saber was standing in the middle of a dirty, unkempt and decrepit alleyway. It was currently raining, a torrent of water falling from grey clouds. Hardly fit conditions for any person to be in. _

_She saw figures bustling past, trying to get out of the adverse conditions. And then, she turned around and saw a boy._

_A boy, dressed in nothing but filthy rags. A small blond-haired boy, seeming even tinier due to his frail physical condition. He was malnourished, nothing but skin and bone. He couldn't have been more than six years old. The boy was walking aimlessly through the passage. Walking, walking, walking onwards, for no discernible reason. _

_The servant was horrified when the boy turned his face upwards and gazed at the grey skies listlessly. To be more precise, she was shocked at the sight of the boy's eyes._

_There was no life in those blue eyes. There was no hope, no fury, no emotion. Only acceptance of one's fate, of the ultimate fate. But, the boy moved onwards. He didn't know why, but he knew that he needed to move on somehow. To survive._

_The crowd loomed in on the boy. Whispers._

_"Is that the demon child?"_

_"It's the monster! Run!"_

_"Tch... What are they letting that damn fox-brat out for?"_

_"If we leave it alone, the storm'll kill it."_

_"What a worthless piece of scum..."_

_Eventually, the boy keeled over from exhaustion. Even with his survival instinct, his weak body could only take him so far._

_He collapsed backwards, and laid face up, with rain pattering down on his whiskered visage, arms and legs outstretched. As if he were making a snow angel on the ground. And the mutterings continued..._

_"It's dying. Let's just leave it."_

_"What a freak. I bet that it's just playing dead... Poke it with a stick."_

_"No way, I'm not going near that thing!"_

_In a way, it was infinitely worse than if the child had been beaten. It was as if the child wasn't even worth beating. As if he truly, deserved nothing but to die in the cold rain, unloved and shunned by all._

_The child stared upwards, with a vacant expression before slowly closing his eyes._

_And Saber could 'hear' the child's thoughts._

_'So... This is how it ends.' _

_Silent resignation. Acceptance of death. There was no confusion, no fear, no anger. Just... Resignation._

_And that a child would be so broken as to accept his fate so easily... It chilled Saber to the core. As a knight, a heroic spirit, a champion of the poor... She couldn't in good consciousness let an innocent die. But, she couldn't touch the child. Couldn't carry him away, couldn't save him, couldn't alert the passing crowd. She was only an observer in this scene._

_And then, Saber was transported into a different realm. It was a white space, completely white. Nothing but blank space. She noticed the child lying nearby, with that same expressionless face. _

_And then, a red-haired woman appeared, dressed in a white kimono. She was extraordinarily beautiful, possessing porcelain skin and a well-shaped figure. Her eyes were of an iridescent red, sparkling like rubies. And she had a smile on her face, as she gazed lovingly across the small frame, still sprawled across the ground. She was crying as well, crying while smiling a radiant smile. She crouched over the blond-haired boy, examining him._

_The boy gazed upwards, with a slight hint of curiosity. _

_"You're still alive... Thank whatever deities may be out there." _

_... The boy was confused. Why was she happy? Was she going to hurt him?_

_"Er, miss... Are you an angel?" He asked softly._

_The woman laughed, a tinkling and beautiful melodious sound, like bells. "No, child... I'm not an angel."_

_"Oh. So, you're not here to kill me then?"_

_The woman recoiled. "What? No! I would never- why-"_

_"Oh... So, is someone else going to kill me?"_

_"Wha-"_

_"It's just that... I'm a demon. My life is... It's meaningless. All I am is a burden to the people around me."_

_The woman began crying harder. Then, she pulled the boy into an embrace, a hug._

_The boy had never had a hug before._

_He could only say one thing. "So warm..."_

_"I'm not going to kill you. I'm crying for you... You've been through a lot, haven't you..." She squeezed the boy a little tighter. "I'm happy you're alive... Because... Your situation, it's... It's all my fault." She nuzzled her face into the boy's neck. "When I took note of your situation, when I saw the state of your mind and body... I was scared for you. And when I saw what had happened to you... I thought you were dead, and I was so, so scared... Now that I know you're alive, I'm happy. Your being alive gave me happiness, that maybe, just maybe, I didn't completely ruin your life."_

_The blue-eyed boy's eyes shot open. She was happy... He was alive..._

_"Worthless brat..."_

_"Just die! And leave our families in peace!"_

_"You demon! Monster! Murderer! Your life, it has no meaning! All you do is make people sad!"_

_And this woman was..._

_'I'm happy you're alive. Your being alive gives me happiness.'_

_He could feel something dripping from his eyes. "What is this water... Tears? I thought that I lost the ability to cry a long time ago."_

_"I'll be there for you... I'm sorry... But... Don't act like your life has no meaning, or you're a monster. You're the farthest thing from a demon any being can be."_

_And now the tears came down in earnest. "Thank you... Thank you for saving me..."_

_"Saving?" The woman mulled over these words for a while. "Yes... I like the sound of that. Saving. Yes, because as long as I can save even a single person... It's my way of repenting for my sins."_

_"Ah, miss? I never got your name."_

_"My name? My name is Akane."_

* * *

_The boy wormed his way deeper into the woman's bosom, trying to get closer to the source of his content, trying to retain that feeling of love and acceptance. The woman chuckled at his movement, and wrapped her arms around the back of his spiky-haired head._

_And, that was the moment when a young boy's mental health was saved. When he met the first being who could love him unconditionally, who didn't scorn or sneer at him. The day his fate changed._

_And that was the scene that Saber witnessed._

"...er... Sa... Ber... Saber!"

"Gah!" The servant's eyes snapped open, and she looked around in shock before taking in her surroundings, as well as the face of her master that was currently positioned right in front of her own. She was sitting on a hard uncomfortable seat, with a low-ceiling and a small window to her right. It should be noted that she was also several thousand feet above ground level.

Yeah, she was on an airplane.

"Man, I've been trying to get you to wake up for five minutes." Naruto groaned. "Did you have a good dream or something?"

"My dreams should not concern you, master." She said stiffly, still a little bit shaken by what she had witnessed. "It will not disrupt my state of mind. That's all you need to know."

The blond-haired magus sighed. "Do you really have to have a stick up your ass, even now?"

Saber's eyebrow twitched. "Master, I can assure you, that-"

"Forget it... It's not worth arguing with you, if you're anything like the Hyuga or Uchiha. I was asking because I was genuinely concerned about you."

"... I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about. You shouldn't concern yourself with my well being. I am simply a-"

"Saber, don't speak like your life has no meaning." Naruto chided her. "Everybody has a purpose, everything has a cause." He paused. "Before you were a heroic spirit, before you were a hero, you were a human too, weren't you."

"Yes. But, I do not see how-"

"It's alright you know. To depend on others." Naruto sighed. "It's all right to rely on other people sometimes. Before you are a hero, you are still a human. Humans are by nature flawed. We're not perfect. We're not perfect tools, or weapons." He flicked Saber in the nose, causing her to yelp and glare at him. "So, stop acting like an emotionless tool. Whenever I see someone who believes that their life has no value, or that they don't matter in the grand scheme of things... It just pisses the crap out of me."

He smiled, a sardonic smile. "Of course, that clause doesn't apply to me..." Naruto whispered, almost inaudibly. "After all, I'm much less than human, meaning my life has almost no worth. Meaning that it's alright for me to give up my life, for a just and reasonable cost."

"..."

The blond-haired magus stretched. "Anyway... I just wanted to tell you, we're landing in five minutes. Just a heads-up, if you will." He glanced a little oddly at Saber. "You know, I thought that you'd be a little more surprised at the idea of manned flight."

"The Holy Grail gives me the relevant information that I need to function in modern society." Saber replied curtly.

"Still though." He chuckled lightly. "You're downright unflappable then. The first time I saw a plane, I damn near crapped my pants."

"You're not from this world then?" Saber inquired.

"... I'll get into that at a later date." The blond man replied curtly. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Master, you said that one shouldn't rely on others. Do you really think so lowly of me as to not trust me with information that-"

Naruto groaned. "My, my... Turning my own words against me. What a troublesome servant..." He turned back to the blond woman. "Not now. Later, once we're in a more secure location. There are some things that should not be said where prying ears are present."

When Saber opened her mouth to protest, Naruto held up his right hand. "Saber... Do you believe me to be a trustworthy person?"

The green-eyed woman pondered this question for a moment. "I have seen no indicators that would lead me to conclude that you aren't... And you have certainly proven yourself to be a person of 'decent' character. However, having only known you for two days, means that I have to reserve my judgement."

"Then, can I ask you to trust me? I promise you, I'll divulge this information at a later date and at a different, but right now... I would feel... Uncomfortable, revealing this sensitive information right now." He turned his head, and looked directly at Saber. "Can you trust me?"

Saber looked at her master, at those blue eyes, which were currently expressing nothing but the utmost truth and honesty. There was no deceit, only an unspoken plea that she would drop the matter. And how could she say no to those eyes?

"As you wish, master."

Naruto relaxed, tension that the servant had not noticed previously dissipating.

"Thank you for that. I appreciate it." And then he frowned. "Would it be too much for you to refer to me as something other than master?"

"Master-"

Naruto threw up his hands in frustration. "Gah! Forget it!"

"Attention. This is your captain speaking. We are currently landing at the wonderful locale of Paris, France. More specifically, at Charles De Gaulle Airport. It is currently sunny, with a clear sky, no clouds at all. Turbulence is to be expected as we land. Please fasten your seatbelts..."

* * *

Saber could honestly say, this new world was... Interesting to say the least. Even if the Grail had 'downloaded' information about this new world. Things like cars, and skyscrapers... While she didn't show it, being the stoic king she was in life... She was, to say the least, impressed by the amount of advancement that had happened in the last thousand or so years. These bustling cities, filled with throngs of thriving people...

Every time she was summoned she marveled at just how far humans had come. It made her wonder, just how advanced would her beloved Britain be, if she had not made those mistakes all those years ago.

The blond-haired servant found herself reminiscing, of past battlefields, past masters, past dreams and aspirations for the sake of a single wish. A contract, made with the world at her time of death. To save her country, she would fight on, fight for the dream that she had, slogging through fields of blood and sorrow, seeking to obtain that salvation, that one wish which was denied to her in life. To save her country, she would change the succession. Dethrone the king. She would... Stop herself from being the ruler, as she could never be a good king, the best king for her people.

_If I wasn't the king..._ The servant mused. _Just how much better would the lives of those people I swore to protect, just how much better would the world be?_

However, at the very least, she could say that she had been summoned by a satisfactory master, with a decent enough personality.

_He is an old soldier, similar to myself. A man who knows the concept of battle, and understands the concept of killing. _

_If what I dreamt on the plane... If that was how my master was treated... It is a wonder that he still maintains a code of morality, despite being taught no morals, and from what he told me of 'fighting by any means necessary', living for a period of time without any sense of honor._

_What a brutally honest man..._

_He would do well as one of my knights, this is for certain. I think Lancelot would have liked him. Maybe Kay..._

The servant snapped out of her self-induced trance for the third time in two days, before turning to her master. "Why must I wear these clothes? They serve no purpose other than appearances, and besides that, I stand out while wearing them."

Saber was currently dressed in one of Naruto's old black suits (What she wore in Fate/Zero) that had been scaled down to fit her, exactly. As to how Naruto had managed to get Saber's measurements... The life of a shinobi forces you to be able to estimate lengths and distances quickly, and mentally. That's all I'm going to go into on the topic...

Moving on!

"Let me ask you a question." Naruto continued walking. "Are said clothes restricting? Confining? Uncomfortable?"

"No, but-"

"Are we currently in combat right now? Failing that, can you switch to combat gear easily?"

"Yes..."

Naruto sighed once more. "You need to live life at your own pace, Saber. You're not just a meaningless tool, you know."

"Master, as-"

"Oh, don't start now! I've been trying to beat this idea into your thick head for the past two days!" Naruto groaned, clearly annoyed by Saber's stubbornness. "Listen, Saber, I don't see you as a tool, okay? Nothing you do will convince me of that. We are partners. Partners. P-a-r-t-n-e-r-s. I am trying to work with you, not make you work for me. And as such, I am obligated to look after your well-being, in order to make sure that you do not up and collapse on me from mental strain." He glanced wearily at his servant. "You're still human, despite acting like you're not, you know. I said this before: humans are infallible. If you keep acting the way you are right now, you'll burn yourself out before the war even begins." He spread his arms. "So, relax! Enjoy life a little bit, because when the fighting starts, there won't be much time for relaxation..." Naruto began walking casually down the busy streets of Paris once more.

"Enjoy life?" Saber muttered. "Enjoy life?"

"Well, yeah. Life is a gift, the infinite mystery of the universe." Naruto began. "Therefore, you should make use of that gift, and exploit it to the fullest..." He grinned again, that wry, slightly bitter grin. "The throne of heroes is really amazing though, isn't it... To be able to give servants another chance... It's annoying how you can't go into spirit form though." He cast a side-long glance at Saber, who fidgeted nervously. "Is there a story behind that?"

"Master, I would prefer if we did not speak on this subject any longer." Saber replied curtly.

Naruto shrugged. "Fair enough. You didn't pry into my secrets, therefore, I won't need to pry into yours." He paused. "Is this reason going to impact your fighting capabilities, or compromise your welfare in any matter?"

Saber paused. "No. It shouldn't. I should be able to function at full capacity, in this war."

"Then, I won't pry. I understand that you are entitled to your secrets. Just know that if you need someone to talk to, you can rely on me."

"That... I..." Saber choked out. "Thank you, master."

"Didn't I tell you? We're partners. Partners look out for their respective partner." Naruto chuckled. "Besides, it isn't every day that you get to make King Arthur blush like a school-girl..."

"Master! Saying such things-"

"Meh, you ruin my fun..." Naruto smiled softly. "Although, King Arthur... That's not your real name, isn't it. Whatever your real name is, it is probably beautiful as well." He sighed. "A shame that I will probably never hear it, though."

"Master..." Saber muttered darkly. "I never knew you were such a shameless flirt..."

"Hmm? Am I flirting? I'm simply stating a fact. You are quite beautiful, you know. That is nothing to be ashamed of. You should take pride in your appearance more. All the grace of a delicate blossom, but underneath that... The majesty of a lion. That is the impression of you that I have." He smiled again, but this time, laced with a slightly sour undertone. "You're really, quite the lovely woman."

And now, Saber turned an atomic red at her master's compliments.

"Master! Why- you- stop doing that!"

Naruto laughed, a carefree sound, and ran off. "Try and catch me then! It's the only way that you'll be able to discipline me for my improper conduct!"

The spiky haired blond ran off, his laughter lingering in the servant's ears.

Saber stared disbelievingly at the rapidly retreating figure of the blue-eyed magus. That man...

Yet, she could not stop the small smile that formed on her face at the blond's antics. It seemed that he possessed the innate talent to improve one's mood.

For now, she decided, she would forget about the war. After all, she had a master to discipline. And with that, she chased after the laughing man.

Yet that smile of content, the first happy smile she had expressed in such a long time, remained on her face.

And the pair continued onwards, running through the famous 'city of light', one of the most forefront centers of human culture. It was a lovely day in France.

0800 hours: Naruto Uzumaki lands in Paris, followed by a strange well-dressed woman.

At 1000 hours, he had checked in to his hotel.

One hour later, and we find him on the streets of Paris.

* * *

"Master, what is our entire purpose of being here." Saber asked. They were walking again. This time, along the Champes-Elysees. The Arc de Triomphe, and the milling throngs of men and women were distinctly visible. "I highly doubt that we're here to sightsee..."

Naruto sighed once more. "Hmm, and what if I told you that in fact, it was to enjoy ourselves for a little bit?"

"Then I would say that you are a very wasteful man."

Naruto began crying anime style, completely fake and overly dramatic tears streaming down his face. "So cruel..." He recomposed himself. "Seriously though. Te matter for which we are here... It's not a laughing one."

"Zel's been actually worried about something going on in Paris. A few magi have gone missing- normally, I would chalk it up to a grudge, or conflict between families, but the nature of the vanishment- there is no disturbance, no sign that there was any conflict where the magus was abducted. That in itself is highly unusual... Why would they take the man, but leave his notes and workshop intact?" He took a breath. "What's more, several of these disappearances have happened to the best practitioners of magecraft. Surely, they would be able to put up some kind of fight, right? Lastly... These disappearances happen too frequently, too close together for it to be anything but a coordinated movement." He motioned to a random man in the crowd. Dressed in a blue uniform, slicked back blond hair, and wearing a haughty smirk on his face. Behind him was a pretty red-headed woman, who was wearing a look of discontent.

"That is Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, the head of the El-Melloi family. He is a powerful man, a talented Magus, and generally well liked by all. Next to him is his fiance, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri." Naruto turned to Saber to see if she understood his words.

"Kayneth is a bigot." He continued. "An arrogant bigot who believes in the entire concept of 'blood is stronger than any power you might build', a kind of belief that those not born of a Magus family is inherently weaker, stupider, and more idiotic than one that is." Naruto's face twisted in displeasure. "I can honestly say, he ranks in the top fifty as one of the most displeasurable and deplorable people I have had the misfortune of meeting."

"Supposedly, he is slanted to be a contestant in the Holy Grail war." Saber looked incredulously at Naruto. "Of course... These are rumors, but I would say, with ninety percent accuracy, that he is most definitely a contestant. My... Unique position, you could say, forces me to do research on most if not all of the premier magi of this generation. Kayneth has spent quite an amount of time on procuring sacred or legendary artifacts, belonging to equally legendary men and women... For example, the fragmented cape of one Iskander, Alexander the Great, the man who conquered the known world, which is actually why he is here in Paris. He is picking up his catalyst."

"Are we going to eliminate him yet, master?"

"Much as I would like to, if simply because he is an annoying man who acts like many people that I knew in my career, I am not so low as to slay him on a whim. First off, I have seen no signs that he has committed any grave crime, so I have no right to kill him, despite being a bigoted asshole. Secondly, he has not received his command seals yet, from what I can understand. It is almost a certainty that he will receive them in a matter of days from this time though. If we kill him now, however... Then we'll have to deal with an unknown player, instead of one that is already known and established. Kayneth is powerful, but easy to predict. Slow in his way of thinking and rigid in his beliefs and stances. He's no match for someone like me, or the Magus killer, in that we are both unorthodox, unpredictable. The last thing I need is to have an unquantifiable variable in the equation, and that will occur if we kill Kayneth now."

He placed a hand on Saber's shoulder, when she expressed her discontent. "We cannot kill him now, Saber. Not yet." He sighed. "Am I clear, Saber? You'll get your chance to do combat soon enough though. Kayneth isn't the reason we're in Paris, after all."

"Then why mention him at all, master?"

"Because, going by the patterns of the kidnappings... They all happen during the daytime. All of them. More specifically, they happen around noon-ish... When the human mind is sluggish and less responsive after presumably partaking in lunch." The blond-haired magus lectured. "Furthermore, he goes after the magi that are more powerful, or from great families. Kayneth is both."

Saber's finally expressed realization. "You're using him as bait."

"If all goes well, then the abductor should show himself. We're in an open area, with no means of cover, no way for Kayneth to hide, not even among the crowd. That uniform type outfit, it is recognizable. Whereas a potential kidnapper could and will utilize this crowd to his advantage..." Naruto glanced once more at his servant. "Tactical planning has gotten me this far in life, after all. I am almost certain that the kidnapper will come. With luck, we should be able to subdue him or her, before the abductor kidnaps the target. Even if he is a disgusting person, he does not deserve to be subjugated to whatever fate the kidnapper or kidnappers have in mind. And if we do it properly, there will be no collateral damage.

Saber and Naruto began scanning the area around Kayneth, searching for any signs of something else, something different in the people. Until...

"There." Saber said suddenly, fixing her eyes on a cloaked figure. "He's wearing some kind of mystic code, a cloak with red clouds on it, and an orange mask. It's creating an illusion of a business man, but I can see right through it, because of my magic resistance. He's walking towards Kayneth right now."

Naruto began cursing when he turned to see the man Saber had noticed, oddly enough. "Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! It can't be that guy. I killed him, there's no way! How in the nine circles of hell is he still alive!?"

"Master?"

"Saber, change of plans. Engage that man directly... He cannot be left alive!"

"Understood, master." And with that, the pair began striding towards the masked man. Naruto froze. "Saber... Did you lose track of Kayneth?"

"He's heading towards the alleyway..."

Naruto cursed even more. "Shit. Go after him. That masked man has marked Kayneth."

"What?"

"He can teleport!" As Naruto said this, the orange-masked man looked around furtively before stepping into what could only be described as a hole in space and time."

"Fuck!" Naruto began running after Kayneth, who was walking in an alleyway. "Why the hell is he going down there anyway? There's absolutely nothing of interest there!"

Eventually, he reached the entry way, only to be confronted by the sneering visage of the other blond-haired magus in blue, and the exasperated visage of his fiance.

"Well, well, well... It looks like I actually have attracted the attention of some scum-" he paused. "No way... Is that? Are you Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto snorted. "No shit, dumbass."

And at this, Kayneth paled. "Forgive me! I meant no disrespect!"

"Oh, spare me the bullshit. Lord El-melloi, Sola-Ui... You're being followed, and not just by me. Have you heard of the recent disappearances in this city?"

"I can assure you, my family and myself have absolutely nothing to do with these-"

"I know. You're being targeted by the guy who's doing it. And if my suspicions are correct, then that man is a dangerous entity!"

The sound of clapping emanating from a shadowed doorway rang in the ear of all present. "Bravo, Naruto Uzumaki. To think that I would actually be worthy of such praise... It makes my heart do leaps of joy."

Saber jolted, while Naruto remained unsurprised. _What in the- where did he come from? Presence concealment? But that means that-_

"What the fuck!" Sola-Ui shouted. "When the hell did that guy get there?"

"Just now." Naruto commented grimly. "He has a... Type of ... 'magecraft' that allows him to circumvent long distances. A partial control over space-time... If he were there before that, I would have sensed it."

"As expected of the Yellow Death of the demonic Leaf..." Saber noticed Naruto stiffen slightly at that moniker. All pleasantries aside, you need to hand me that man, now."

"Why? Why are you here, Tobi? No... Obito? More specifically, how are you here? I killed you... I cut you in half before incinerating the lower portion of your body..."

The newly named 'Obito' lifted a finger to his 'mouth', or what would be his mouth if it were not obscured by that orange mask.

"That's a se-cret!" He sang out. "Naruto-boy! Besides, didn't you know? Tobi is a good boy! Why are you concerned over the disappearance of more trashes anyway? I'm just being a good boy and taking out the trash!"

"There's always a motive, Obito..." Naruto muttered ominously. "You were like that all the time I've known you..."

"Ah, well... You could say that I'm not actually alive, per say..." Obito muttered sheepishly. "I'm not going to spoil anything else!" He paused. "I really have to go now. Master's orders... Well, bye-bye, blond brat, slimy man, pretty red-haired lady, cute servant! Ah wait... The targets are already gone? Pooh... Now I can't even go after them... Ah well. Tobi is still a good boy!"

Saber gritted her teeth. "Are you making a fool out of me?"

"Saber, don't let him get into your head..."

"I wish that I could play some more, but my partner is such a spoilsport! He's telling me to get away..." Another dimensional rip opened. "Well then, Ja-ne!"

And with that, he vanished.

It should be noted that Kayneth had also vanished in the confusion, along with Sola-Ui.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Damn that man... If he's who I think he is, we're in for a hell of trouble..."

"Master, who was that irritating person? And how did he know you?" Saber asked curiously.

"That person, is one of the most dangerous people that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing... The last time we fought, we annihilated an entire countryside. I only won because I got lucky... As to how I know him? Let's just say, it's the legacy of a misspent youth."

"Master, that man... He was..."

"Yes. He was a servant. And if he is actually going to be participating in this Holy Grail war... Then this war has just become exponentially more difficult. I do not believe... No, not even you will be able to land a hit on him.

"You shouldn't underestimate me, master."

"I'm not trying to put you or your abilities down. You literally cannot land a direct hit upon him, unless Excalibur has miraculously gained the ability to cut dimensions." He sighed. "That man... He acts childish, but in reality, is the most pragmatic, ruthless bastard that I've ever met. He'll do anything to get his way, uncaring of the lives of the people he tramples... He has absolutely no value for the lives of others. He plays god with the world itself, if it means that his own dreams can be realized." Naruto clenched his fists. "That man, acts like myself once upon a time... I can safely say, he is one of the most dangerous entities I have ever encountered, not just for his personality, but also his power..."

"Luckily, it seems the magus summoning him did a complete half-assed job of it. His stats were all lowered. All of them. He's a joke compared to an Assassin class as it stands. Which is good, if he were summoned correctly, we'd stand absolutely no chance, but now? Now we have a chance to eliminate a threat to the world."

"Master-"

"Saber... That thing... It is dangerous." He glanced at her. "Surely, you felt it too. That aura, that malevolent and dangerous presence... That is no ordinary servant."

"Then it is quite lucky." Saber said primly. "That I am no also ordinary servant. And you are no ordinary master." She clasped his shoulder. "He shall be no match for the two of us."

"So then, you're deciding to work with me now?"

"I recognize a lost cause when I see it." She gave the blond a faint grin. "It appears that you are more stubborn than me in that regard."

"Heh. True." Naruto suddenly became serious in demeanor and expression, losing his easy going grin. "We need to head back and plan for our next move. Even if Tobi is abnormally weak now, he still cannot be underestimated."

"Understood, master. But what about Kayneth?"

"Archibald? He'll be fine. Now that I've revealed myself, Tobi's master will probably target me instead. Which is acceptable, as long as he stops going after other magi."

"Master, didn't you tell me..."

"Not to sacrifice myself and to live life to the fullest? Yes. But, my way of living life to the fullest is by helping others. That's how I live..." He yawned, all of a sudden. "Enough. I've been staving off rest for a while now, and I have to sleep. We're heading back and planning our next move, if that's alright with you."

"I shall defer to you in this matter then."

"Let's go then, Saber."

And with that, the pair moved off.

1130 hours.

* * *

A beer bottle smashed against a dark wall. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! The old vampire actually sent his lapdog here! Damn it, damn it all!"

Tobi watched his master rage and scream with analytic eyes. "Master, I strongly recommend-"

"Shut up! I'm already doing enough shit for you! I'm not taking shit from anyone anymore! Especially those fucking magi from the fucking organization!" Another bottle smashed against the floor. "God damn it! I couldn't get that asshole Kayneth! His power would have been so useful!" And then a creepy grin spread across the magus' face. "But no matter. If I can get my hands on that Naruto Uzumaki... The thought of all of that power at my disposal..."

Tobi scoffed. "You? Defeat Naruto? Please. He could beat you with both hands tied behind his back. Even I, in my prime, could not defeat him when he was crippled and handicapped. What makes you think you can? You didn't even summon me properly!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" The magus screamed. "I may not have command seals, this summoning may not have been done through means of the grail, but the fact of the matter remains! I summoned you, and I'm your master!" He pointed at Tobi with an accusing finger. "As your master, even if I do not have command seals, I am still your anchor to this world! If I die, you'll die too..."

"Tch. Such a disgusting man... It seems that even in this world, scum runs rampant."

"I'll show them all." The magus continued, without even noticing that Obito had spoken. "I'm not a third rate! I managed to summon a heroic spirit, without the Holy Grail! I'm not a third rate! I'm not useless! Soon, they'll all know my name, all weep in terror!"

"This from a man who cannot even maintain my form without 'assistance' from other magi." Obito muttered darkly. "What a distasteful creature. If I were not magically compelled to serve you, and if I did not find amusement in the state of the world, and if you were not my sole anchor to the world, and as a result, my sole hopes of obtaining that wish, then... I'd have killed you long ago. Fortunately, this entire affair is all for that one holy artifact, so as a result-"

"I'll kill them. I'll kill all of those despicable bastards! I'll kill them, violate their daughters! I'll kill and kill and kill and pillage... Now that I have power, they'll fear me!"

"As if it weren't enough that my master was crazier than Deidara or even more obsessed than Pein." Tobi shook his head ruefully. "I really have some shitty luck, don't I? But, in the end, the end justifies the means."

"Personally, I find it quite amazing that this retard of a person actually managed to realize a miracle. Apparently, he didn't realize just how extraordinary it is to summon a servant, especially considering that he did it all by himself. He got so, so ridiculously lucky that the ritual didn't completely burn out his circuits, or something worse. There was no way of knowing the actual outcome, and the fact that this dumbass managed to do it... He was gambling with his very existence, playing with fire. Hell, he wouldn't even have succeeded if he wasn't having his hand held by a noble family. The Einzberns were just using him as an experiment, a way to see if they could cheat the rules of the Holy Grail war again." He chuckled. "They must be pissed that their original catalyst was stolen, if they're willing to go to such lengths. It's a pity that the dumbass wasn't recognized as a master."

"Whatever. I'm here now..." He flexed a hand. "May as well make the most of it, even if I do have a hypocrite of a master, backed by manipulators of a family."

**A/N**

**Annnnd cut!**

**Yes, the Einzberns are trying to cheat the rules of the grail AGAIN. And yes, they do have the capability to summon servants without the aid of the grail.**

**Next chapter should actually have some ass-kicking. Yes, I am aware I'm underpowering Obito, but do you really want me to throw a mountain at the protagonist this early on? If I did that, this story would be over way too quickly.**

**Stat sheets are currently being constructed for the servants.**

**Apologies if this work is not super high quality, or if I'm completely missing a part of the lore in writing it. Or if I'm writing characters OOC. I am aware that I'm rushing things, but I kind of want to get filler material out of the way. Again, no excuse for writing sub-standard material.**

**I just noticed that this is the third update in a week. I think I'm spoiling you guys... don't expect another update for upwards of one-two weeks though. I have end of course exams coming up this week, and I'm going to be leaving on a trip near the end of the week. So, updates will be delayed heavily. Speaking of updates, can anybody direct me to a good beta-reader? It would be very, very appreciated.**

**Character's beliefs do not necessarily reflect my beliefs. Just going to put that out there.**

**So, read, review, favorite, give some measure of feedback. Any way to make this story better. Criticism is welcome, as always.**

**Signing out.**


	4. NOT AN UPDATE!

Well... I've looked back over these chapters. And I can officially say this.

This story? Needs a rewrite.

I was writing chapter four, when a realization came to me. I was completely wrong in how I was going about this. I was explaining things unnecessarily, I had several grammar and syntax errors, my entire conceptions on 'power levels' was completely misguided, and my general knowledge and lore was extremely, EXTREMELY flawed.

My entire portrayal of characters and personalities was completely twisted, in my opinion. In short? I've looked back at this story, and I do not like what I see.

I even find it more of a task to write new chapters now. Essentially... writing this story isn't FUN anymore, and since I was writing for your entertainment and my entertainment... not a good sign.

So that's why I'll rewrite. Make it better, more bearable and realistic. These chapters however, will remain. This fic just won't be updated anymore.

Expect the finished product around mid-late May-ish. I'm really sorry about this, but it has to happen. I just can't write what I consider sub-standard material, and the entire story screams substandard, in my opinion.

I'll try to improve overall quality and fix the various annoying plotholes though, and the elements that seem contrived and cliche, and boring in general.

Hopefully I won't make these stupid-ass mistakes next time.

Until then, I have been Rein Hellfire. And this has been Fate:Zero Hour.


End file.
